Lsoing

Losing 

Losing

        Every Chinese person thinks the Chinese New Year is the most important festival. In China, there are many activities to celebrate it. The date of the Chinese New Year is different every year, but it is the date when the whole family and relatives come together. Of course, there is a week off for the holiday, so the people who live and work in the city will come to their hometown with their family too. However, celebrating the Chinese New Year in other countries is completely different. I have been in the United States for six years, but I still haven’t felt any happy or pleasant feeling about celebrated Chinese New Year. When I celebrated in the United States, we didn’t have time together because Chinese New Year is not a holiday. I also felt sad and lonely because there were not many wonderful activities to celebrate Chinese New Year. Each year I miss the feeling, red envelope, and fireworks that were an integral part of my Chinese holiday.

        Loneliness can be the word representing Chinese New Year for now. Every Chinese New Year was celebrated only by my grandmother and me. The way that we celebrated was very simple. We just went to the nearest restaurant, and had plentiful of delicious food. Usually, we bought more food to go. In this way, after my parents and my brother came home from work, they could enjoy their Chinese New Year tasty dinner too. However, by the time they came back home, my grandmother and I had already fallen asleep. I really hoped that United State could have a week holiday for Chinese New Year too, so we could stay together instead of going to school or work. The years when our family lived in China were so much better festive.  My mother, aunt, and grandmother would wake up earlier and start to prepare for the meal for the night. My brother and I would stroll at the fair. We would always buy many toys, and at nightfall, my brother and I would come home. Also, all of my aunts and uncles’ families would come too, and we would have a huge dinner. The dishes filled in a three feet round table. Usually, this dinner would start at seven and last until nine. Two hours was still not enough to finish all the dishes. People call this dinner ‘Chinese New Year family reunion dinner’. Those memories was very carefree and cheerful, but they are missing from my Chicago life.

        Another thing I miss is getting the red envelope which is a tradition in China. The red envelope is the way for older generations to bless their children. Usually, there is some money inside the envelope. In the United States, I have only received three red envelopes from my parents and grandmother so far. That means I have less blessing and money. I don’t have any relatives in the United States, so I couldn’t visit them or get the red envelope from them. When I was in China, We would visit my relative every Chinese New Year. That was a chance for my parents to stay with my uncle or aunt. Ordinarily, they would not meet each other because of work.  I received about twenty red envelopes every Chinese New Year. I usually ended up buying toys at the fair with the money. When my parents met with my uncles or aunts, they would drop a tear. I felt helpless about them. I knew they really cared and missed each other, since we are in the different countries now. There is no way for them to meet.

        Every time I see fireworks in chicago, it reminds me of Chinese New Year. Also every July 4^th makes me remember Chinese New Year in China. My family usually bought a lot of fireworks a week before Chinese New Year came. When the first day of Chinese New Year came, everybody would wake up a lot earlier because the fireworks were ear-splitting. I remember one of the fireworks that was the most impressive. I held the bottom of the firework, and when it burnt, there were many sparks flies out. It was very beautiful. The spark was like a floating flower in the air. However, in the United States, we are not allowed to set off fireworks in Chinese New Year.

        Many of the cultural and traditions get lost in immigration. Celebrating Chinese New Year in the United States is very different from what I used to do in China, and many important parts for celebrating Chinese New Year are gone. The feelings, red envelope, and firework have failed to reach this country. Those memories of celebrating Chinese New Year in China are only buried inside deep inside my heart. Maybe, I should follow the culture in United States or maybe one day I should return to China, so that I can celebrate the tradition of Chinese New Year again.